Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has called for an end to what he describes as selective justice and political retaliation, stressing that the opposition’s demand is not a rejection of accountability but a call for fairness in the application of the law.
Speaking at the “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration on Thursday, August 6, the Effutu MP alleged that some lawmakers were being targeted with investigations following comments and contributions made on the floor of Parliament.
“We are not against accountability, but we are against selective justice,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin questioned the practice of inviting Members of Parliament for investigations after they make statements during parliamentary proceedings, arguing that such actions could undermine free expression and parliamentary independence.
He also cited concerns raised by some members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding the treatment of suspects in custody.
According to him, former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has raised concerns in Parliament about what he described as unlawful conditions under which some suspects are being held, while Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has also expressed similar concerns.
The Minority Leader maintained that the opposition was only exercising its democratic right to criticise the government and that dissenting views should not be met with intimidation.
He urged political actors to move away from what he described as the “you do me, I do you” approach to governance, warning that such a cycle could weaken Ghana’s democratic progress.
“As a country, we must end this vicious cycle of ‘you do me, I do you.’ I’ve been talking about this for quite some time now,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said his concerns were not driven by the fact that members of his party were currently facing investigations, but by his broader conviction that political engagement must be guided by respect and decency.
“I don’t say this because it is my people who are going through this situation. I say this because all my life I’ve believed that we can do politics in a very decent way,” he added.
He called on political leaders to redirect their attention from partisan disputes to addressing pressing national development challenges, particularly in deprived communities.
“If you leave Accra and go deep into the hinterlands, you see the serious underdevelopment in our country. That should be what should occupy our minds as political leaders,” he said.
The Minority Leader further warned that continued allegations of political persecution could make it difficult for moderate voices within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to restrain hardliners when the party returns to government.
“For me, if they don’t stop, it will be difficult for the moderates in the NPP to calm the nerves of the extremists when the NPP comes to office tomorrow. But is that what we want as a country? No. That’s not what we want,” he said.
He concluded that the demonstration was not a protest against Ghana but a call for fairness, justice and the protection of the country’s democratic values.
